Euler classes of vector bundles over manifolds (Q2054612)

The paper under review is a continuation of the previous paper [\textit{A. C. Naolekar} et al., Homology Homotopy Appl. 22, No. 1, 215--232 (2020; Zbl 1456.57025)]. Let \(\mathcal{E}_k\) be the set of diffeomorphism classes of closed connected smooth \(k\)-manifold \(X\) with the property that the Euler class of every oriented vector bundle over \(X\) is trivial. In the case that the dimension \(k\) is even, the author shows that if \(X\) belongs to \(\mathcal{E}_{k}\), then its Euler characteristic \(\chi (X)\) is non-positive. Moreover, in the case that \(k\) is odd and \(k\geq 5\), some necessary conditions are obtained. That is, if \(X\) is non-orientable, then \(H_{1}(X;\mathbb{Z})\) is infinitely cyclic and \(H_{i}(X;\mathbb{Z})\) is finite for all \(i>1\). If \(X\) is orientable, then \(\pi_{1}(X)\) is perfect, \(X\) is a rational homology \(k\)-sphere, and \(H^{2}(X;\mathbb{Z})=0\). As another restriction in the general setting, the author shows that if \(X\in\mathcal{E}_{k}\) where \(k>5\) is odd, then \(H_{k-4}(X;\mathbb{Z})\) is \(2\)-primary. As a consequence of these results, it is shown that \(\mathcal{E}_{k}\) does not contain products. In the direction of a complete understanding of \(\mathcal{E}_k\) for smaller values of \(k\), the author proves that \(\mathcal{E}_8\) is empty.